Elon Musk’s Starlink v2 will help IRL Twitch streamers, but there’s a catch
Elon Musk/StarlinkElon Musk has revealed that the next version of Starlink will connect straight to mobile devices, which will help IRL Twitch streamers stay connected in the future. However, there’s one problem.
Launched in 2019 by Elon Musk and his team, Starlink offers high-speed satellite internet to a wide variety of users around the world.
It especially has come in handy to those in more rural areas of the US, or in countries where high-speed broadband or fiber internet speeds aren’t available.
In a recent tweet, Elon Musk revealed that the next version of Starlink will be able to connect directly to mobile phones, reducing the chance of entering a “dead zone,” where users have no cell phone reception.
This will also help IRL streamers on Twitch in the future, but a second tweet posted by Musk reveals that streamers will have till after launch for its full effect.
Starlink V2 will help IRL Twitch streamers in the future
One of the hardest things to accomplish when IRL live-streaming is making sure that you are constantly connected to the internet.
Many large-scale IRL streamers on Twitch use specialized backpacks outfitted with a computer and mobile hotspot for their streams. Yet, the platform’s mobile app provides users with the ability to broadcast straight from their phone without any specialized equipment which is perfect for many users.
Elon Musk’s Starlink V2 will help those streamers stay connected in the future.
A second tweet from the Tesla founder reveals that it won’t support the bandwidth required to have a high-quality live stream when it initially launches.
Note, connectivity will be 2 to 4 Mbits per cell zone, so will work great for texting & voice calls, but not high bandwidth
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2022
In the tweet, Elon reveals that Starlink v2 will only have internet speeds between two and four megabits at the time of launch.
According to Restream.io, the ideal internet speeds for a Twitch stream at 720p resolution and 30fps require a 5 connection to properly stream, with that number rising the higher quality you attempt to make the stream.
However, it’s safe to assume that after the product’s official launch, the speeds provided by Starlink will be much higher — giving Twitch streamers the ability to IRL stream without the worry of losing connection.